Gregg Mayles: It all takes place on Piñata Island, a legendary place where live Piñatas fulfil their destiny of filling up with candy and being fired off to parties worldwide - don't worry, they get to come back! The player inherits the island's premier Piñata-providing garden, which has sadly fallen into ruin. The story of its downfall is pieced together even as the player strives to raise a new Piñata community and restore the garden to its former glory.

TG: What things will players have to consider as they manage their island?

GM: Lots! How best to make use of space - each Piñata needs a certain amount of roaming space or it'll become ill - how the contents of the garden affect your Piñatas, the relationships between the different species and how to deal with any trouble that flares up, keeping everyone healthy and happy enough to avoid a visit from the sinister Dastardos, the best way to raise funds to improve your surroundings, where and when to hire Helpers and other services from the local village, what to trade and with whom, and perhaps most importantly, how to entice new Piñata species into appearing, visiting, residing and romancing. You don't necessarily have to deal with all this at once, of course ...

TG:Will the game appeal to both children and adults

GM: We hope so. We're known for making games that can be enjoyed by all ages - from Banjo-Kazooie to Donkey Kong Country - and we realise that there has to be more than one level of challenge present in a game, so that hardcore gamers can get just as much out of it as newcomers and younger players.

TG:What about an educational component for children?

GM: It's primarily entertainment, but I guess some bits are educational. We do touch on sensitive subjects such as birth, reproduction and even death - although Piñatas don't actually die; they just lose the identity you've given them and return to the wild.

TG: It's been announced that the game is part of an agreement with 4Kids

GM: Yes, 4Kids have the contract to create the TV show and handle the licensing, merchandise and so on. We don't have much information on how big their plans are in that area just yet; I expect we'll know more when we see how the game and show are received. The show itself has just premiered in America with a first run of 26 episodes. It kicks off in the UK next year.

TG: And how will the game relate to the TV series?

GM: It's the other way around, really, as the game had been in development for quite some time before Microsoft took it to 4Kids to gauge the TV spin-off potential. We supply 4Kids with info and assets, check over the scripts for consistency and swap ideas, but at the end of the day, they're the experts in that field. We just like knowing that all the Piñata species you'll see in the show are also in the game, and that viewers will be able to pick up on little tidbits of information in the show that will help them progress through the game.

GM: We've never actually said anything like that ourselves. People always want to compare something with the closest thing they're familiar with, and I guess our comparison point is fated to be Pokémon. But to me the two are far more removed than people think: Pokémon focuses on the collection and confrontation of characters, while Viva Piñata offers a much wider range of stimuli and encourages the player to tackle the game in a manner that suits them. They can be direct, they can dabble, play a long game or a short game, be entrepreneurs, play it safe, help others, strive for a garden that's the envy of all their friends, or simply enjoy creating something from nothing.

TG: Is the game's "food chain" system part of this?

GM: It mimics real life as closely as possible - or at least the common perception of such things in real life - so that players can work out the steps without having to look everything up. So, basically, insects are eaten by birds and small mammals, which are themselves lower down the ladder than birds of prey and land predators.

TG: To what extent will the players be able to customise their gardens?

GM: The whole garden is basically customisable in that you can allocate any area to any Piñata or Piñata group within reason, sow the seeds to grow the plants you want, add or remove fences, ponds and ornaments, and build houses for your Piñatas and garden helpers.

TG: How long does a game of Viva Piñata last? Is there an overarching storyline, or is the game more of a sandbox?

GM: There are goals embedded in the main storyline, but there are all sorts of other accomplishments to aim for even after that's been wrapped up. Player titles, set challenges from the factory at Piñata Central, Xbox Live Achievements, the lure of attracting brand new species from the 60 or more out there in the wilderness. From day one, we were aiming for a game that could be played for two minutes, two hours or 20 hours a day, and hopefully we've come somewhere close to achieving that.

TG: And, as you've said, Xbox Live extends that even further ...

GM: Yes. Trading between players is one of our main focal points - you'll be able to package up and send out pretty much anything for your friends to use, from seeds to accessories to actual Piñatas.

TG: How would you describe the game's premise?

GM: To provide an empty space in which you can create whatever you choose, and the tools to enable this.

TG: What inspired the title?

GM: Looking out of a window at real life. The human desire to collect, swap and trade. Trying to be different.

TG: Finally, does the "piñata" theme stem from that last goal?

GM: We just sort of stumbled across it while casting around for a distinctive visual style. The game had been in the works for a while and the ideas were all in place, but we needed an unmistakable look. The piñata crepe theme was among those that our concept artist started experimenting with, and suddenly it all fell into place.

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